While many Mega DOers spent their first night in Houston eating BBQ and the FT Awards brain trust thrashed through their final preparations, I had a chance to catch up with Captain Denny Flanagan, who’s in town to present a special award during Thursday night’s ceremony. Capt. Denny is, of course, the revered UAL 757 pilot most famous for “FlyerTalk 1,” and unlike a great many of his colleagues appears to have never doubted FlyerTalk as a force for good. “They really make a difference for the flying public,” he told me. “They’re spokespersons and investigative reporters. Do you know what a PAC is? They’re kind of like a FAC — a flying action committee.”

He’s still averaging six of his trademark dinner DOs per year, and still bringing his co-pilot and fellow pilots, “just to let them have an experience with the customer,” he said, “to hear their praise and their complaints.”

Public Charter flights operated under Title 14CFR Part 380 DOT PC 10 153 by TomOli, LLC with flights on Continental Airlines. Conditions applicable to the charter are in the operator-participant contract, available here.